Increasingly, people are defined by who and what they are online. In the corporate context, companies must exist on Google or they just don't exist at all.
This is the view of Howard Rybko, director at Web design and management services company Syncrony. “Raising awareness of a Web site within a competitive niche is significant and comes with a high cost in terms of both labour and time,” he explains.
However, the need to develop a corporate online reputation is paramount. “For companies looking for ways to grow their business, neglecting your online reputation can undermine costly marketing and public relations initiatives,” warns Rybko.
The fact is that anybody can at anytime find out almost anything about your company online. Says Rybcko: “All links that tie to your organisation's online presence needs to be constantly managed and maintained.”
Big friendly online giants
Rybko advises companies to utilise the reach of the three online giants: Google, Facebook and Twitter. “This commitment involves drafting press releases, crafting expert articles, meaningful blogging and concerted, credible Tweeting,” advises Rybko.
In the South African contest, Rybko says local companies buy into the idea of social media but don't commit to seeing it through. “There are millions of Twitter profiles that stand forlorn with a single tweet to their name, abandoned by their eager executive owners who have moved on to more exciting places.
“To make a believable presence online, companies must dedicate time and resources to their online initiatives”. Facebook, for example, requires a substantial investment in time and ongoing attention, he states.
Because corporate social media is so time-consuming, there is an increasing need for companies to have a dedicated in-house person to manage to company's online interactions, opines Rybko.
“The real results come from consistent hard work, from completing non-repetitive tasks that require considerable brain power, from concentration and long-term endurance,” he adds.
Staff buy-in
Once companies commit to online marketing they need to secure buy-in from the company executives as well, advises Rybko. “The bottom line is that companies who want to make a difference to their online presence and reputations need to commit to having staff onboard who are capable of producing the required output.“
Interactivity is key, and Rybko advises companies to encourage staff to spend time replying sensibly to customer's online comments. “Companies need people onboard who are capable of creating content that will serve to differentiate the organisation from the many posers who pretend to 'get' the Internet marketing thing.”
Rybko predicts that once this level of commitment to social media is reached there may be job descriptions that specify 'Facebook social engineer with tweeting experience'.
In conclusion, Rybko advises companies not to underestimate the impact of their online reputation. “The fact is that having a top 10 ranking in a Google search for your industry's keywords can lead to substantial financial reward.”
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